Recreating at your local parks and open spaces just got easier. The new Larimer County Department of Natural Resources Recreation Map is available. The Recreation Map includes all the Larimer County-managed recreation trails, camping areas, swimming areas, climbing spots, and other recreation opportunities. “The map was intended to be an all-encompassing recreation planning tool,”said Jeffrey Boring, Larimer County Resource Specialist and Map Project Manager. “We’ve got such a diverse recreating public and so many destinations to play in, we wanted to make sure all interests were accounted for and no parks or open spaces were overlooked,” he added. Over 85 miles of trail, 28,000 acres of open space, and 9,000 acres of parkland are highlighted on the map.

To this end, the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources spent over a year planning and designing the map. The Department scheduled focus group meetings with members of various users groups, including the Overland Mountain Bike Club, Colorado Mountain Club, Loveland Fishing Club, and Larimer County Horseman’s Association. “Input from these user groups really shaped the final product,” said Zac Wiebe, Larimer County Natural Resource Technician. “They played an active role in the design of the map, recommended new features, and overall made the map a lot more user friendly,” he added.

Beautifully illustrated with photos of wildlife, natural scenery, kids playing at parks and open spaces, and other recreational features, the 27” x 36” map folds down to 4”x 9” and can be easily stored in a daypack while on the trail, or kept in a car’s glove compartment. Trail profiles help hikers and mountain bikers plan easy or difficult hikes and bike rides throughout the county. Many of the map insets use 3-D technology to give the user a better feel for the topography of each property. With the use of this technology, the origin of the name for the geological feature called the “Big Hole” at Red Mountain Open Space becomes obvious.

Larimer County’s Natural Resource Recreation Map is free of charge and will be available at all county parks and open spaces throughout the year. The Department will provide these maps at local festivals, visitor centers, and outdoor retailers. A digital copy of the map is available at http://larimer.org/naturalresources/recreation_map.pdf. “Now that production of the map is complete, it’s time to get it in recreationists’ hands,” said Boring. Just in time for spring.